A History of the English Bible as Literature

by Norton David, David Norton

Overview

A History of the English Bible as Literature (revised and condensed from the author's acclaimed History of the Bible as Literature CUP, 1993) explores five hundred years of religious and literary ideas. At its heart is the story of how the King James Bible went from being mocked as English writing to being "unsurpassed in the entire range of literature." It studies the Bible translators, writers such as Milton and Bunyan who contributed so much to our sense of the Bible, and a fascinating range of critics and commentators.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521771405
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	11/01/2008
Series:	A History of the Bible as Literature Series
Edition description:	Revised Edition
Pages:	524
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 1.30(d)
Lexile:	1450L (what's this?)

Table of Contents

1. Creators of English; 2. From the Great Bible to the Rheims-Douai Bible: arguments about language; 3. The King James Bible; 4. Literary implications of Bible presentation; 5. The struggle for acceptance; 6. The Psalter in verse and poetry; 7. The eloquentest book in the world'; 8. Writers and the Bible 1: Milton and Bunyan; 9. The early eighteenth century and the KJB; 10. Mid-century; 11. The critical rise of the KJB; 12. Writers and the Bible 2: the Romantics; 13. Literary discussion to mid-victorian times; 14. The revised version; 15. 'The Bible as literature'; 16. The later reputation of the KJB; 17. The New English Bible.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"In a volume this detailed, a nod in the direction of the enormous vogue for such interpretation of the Bible since about 1960 would be appropriate. Accessible and recommended for undergraduate and graduate collections that do not own the two-volume edition." Choice

"This edition of the two-volume History of the Bible as Literature (1993) cuts down the material to more manageable proportions by confining the focus to the English Bible, reducing the number of examples, and omitting the appendices." Theology Digest

"Norton's magisterial study...is a treasure trove for anyone who is interested in the cultural imapct of the Bible in the English-speaking world." Religious Studies Review

"This is a very good book indeed...Norton's volume is filled on every page with the true scholar's eye for detail and understanding of the whole field...Norton's fine book does a good deal to begin to restore the Bible to its proper place in English language cultural history." Theology Today

Editorial Reviews

"In a volume this detailed, a nod in the direction of the enormous vogue for such interpretation of the Bible since about 1960 would be appropriate. Accessible and recommended for undergraduate and graduate collections that do not own the two-volume edition." Choice

"This edition of the two-volume History of the Bible as Literature (1993) cuts down the material to more manageable proportions by confining the focus to the English Bible, reducing the number of examples, and omitting the appendices." Theology Digest

"Norton's magisterial study...is a treasure trove for anyone who is interested in the cultural imapct of the Bible in the English-speaking world." Religious Studies Review

"This is a very good book indeed...Norton's volume is filled on every page with the true scholar's eye for detail and understanding of the whole field...Norton's fine book does a good deal to begin to restore the Bible to its proper place in English language cultural history." Theology Today

From the Publisher